After Kemba Walker‘s explosive 60-point performance Saturday against the 76ers, Rick Bonnell of The Charlotte Observer argues that the Hornets shouldn’t overthink things, and should offer Walker the maximum allowable contract this summer. Walker will be an unrestricted free agent as he enters his age-29 season, and Bonnell makes a case for the importance of keeping the point guard around, despite the team’s struggles in recent years.
Walker is having a career season, averaging 28.7 points and 6.1 assists per game, and is certainly capable of taking over any game with his scoring ability. Walker would certainly be expensive — his full, five-year max projects to be worth $189MM+, unless he makes an All-NBA team this season, in which the deal could be worth up to $221MM. However, Hornets owner Michael Jordan has shown that he isn’t afraid to spend to keep players in Charlotte, and Bonnell argues that this instance should be no exception for the team’s leader.
There’s more from the Southeast division:
- After the Nets defeated the Wizards on Friday, former Wizard Jared Dudley suggested that the team is in need of a shake up, according to Ben Standig of NBC Sports Washington. Much of the Wizards’ core that played with Dudley in 2016 is still on the roster, but the team hasn’t had consistent success in several years.
- Goran Dragic may be out for an extended period due to a right knee issue, according to Ira Winderman of The Sun Sentinel. The Heat are still without Dion Waiters and could use Dragic’s scoring and playmaking abilities as they look to bounce back from a slow start.
- Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald hits on several Heat-related topics, including the conditioning of James Johnson and Waiters and the lack of interest from the team as it relates to adding Carmelo Anthony to the rotation.
The Wizards are the only team in the NBA with a losing record that is in the luxury tax.
That’s for sure, Kemba deserves the max, is having such a great season, he is willing his team to a good start, despite how poor the rest of the team has been.
Heat need to move to continue on their rebuild path, and go further by moving Dragic and Whiteside at some point this season.
As for Carmelo Anthony, definitely not a move that would help the Heat unless they are looking to sneak in as an 8th seed, while willing to sacrifice defense and ball movement in order to utilize Anthony’s volume shooting offense. I don’t see the fit.